ARCHIVE FOR The Writing Life

In this post, GrubStreet instructor Ben Berman discusses how learning to think flexibly can help us be more creative.

Flexible thinking refers to our ability to shift or reframe how we are thinking about an idea.

When psychologists measure one’s aptitude for creativity, they often focus on this aspect of thinking. How many uses can you find for a brick? they ask, before grading the responses based on fluency, originality, flexibility and elaboration.

Hands down, Twitter is one of the most influential networks, and it’s what I think of as the great human connector. Out of all the social media networks, Twitter gives you the best chance to reach an audience around the world. You can talk to some of the most famous and powerful people on the platform, but more importantly, you can talk directly to your readers wherever they happen to be

By Katrin Schumann

I’ve always loved to dive in and re-vamp a space. Each project starts with enormous energy and hope. I’m excited by all that I can achieve with just a little energy, imagination and hard work—and the price of a gallon of paint.

It recently occurred to me that writing a first draft is not unlike revitalizing a room

GrubStreet Instructor, marketing consultant, writer, and mother of two, Allison Pottern Hoch knows how important support can be to fostering a creative life. She’ll be covering this topic and more in her class Writing Like a Parent, Parenting Like a Writer on July 20th, but until then read on to learn more about grants, scholarships, residencies and more for writers who are parents.

By Katrin Schumann

In the most recent New Yorker, Teddy Wayne wrote an article called “Eight Rules for Writing Fiction.” Wayne has written three novels (one which has been optioned by HBO) and Kirkus Reviews said of him: “A spectacular stylist, Wayne is deeply empathetic toward his characters, but—brutally and brilliantly—he refuses to either defend or excuse them.”